Groundbreaking findings released today at an FASD Symposium in Taamakimakaurau put the lived experience of Maaori alcohol harm front and centre, and identifies the development of Maaori solutions as being key to preventing further harm.
The findings from Kaupapa Te Rapu (Te Rapu) are the result of a 275-person pilot conducted in Taamakimakaurau, and centres on the lived experiences of alcohol harm to Maaori.
“We recognise that our people have the knowledge, skills and capacity to control their own health and destiny, and Te Rapu will help us to better understand the lived experiences of Maaori” says Raawiri Ratuu, Kaiaarahi of Tuu Whakahee Waipiro.
Existing evidence of alcohol harm to Maaori is often extrapolated, high-level and hard-to-access. Te Rapu is a direct response to this lack of reliable evidence, and is the first time that the Crown has invested in research that seeks to understand the true extent of alcohol harm among Maaori.
In 95 percent of koorero, whaanau were able to articulate and identify specific harmful attitudes towards alcohol. Among the common themes of harm experienced by Maaori are:
too many bottle shops
family violence
ill health
lack of Maaori wellbeing services
links between alcohol use and P
tamariki in Oranga Tamariki care
The findings, while highly distressing, are not new. The difference is that Te Rapu creates a reliable evidence base of the unequal and disproportionate impact of alcohol harm to Maaori to inform long-term decision making and social investment, while also offering solutions to create a Maaori model of response to alcohol harm.
“Within the koorero were powerful stories of strength and courage; a call and desire for change built upon the lived experience of current alcohol harm prevention strategies that have failed Maaori” says Raawiri.
“Whaanau spoke of what has not worked, such as a focus on mental health and addiction as the sole causes of alcohol abuse, when a Maaori wellness model focused on te taha wairua, te taha hinengaro, te taha tinana and te taha whaanau, would be more effective.”
“Our hope is that these findings create a benchmark, built from whaanau lived experiences of alcohol harm, that can be utilised to inform systemic change so that maatauranga, tikanga and moohiotanga Maaori guide our future.”
The next step for Kaupapa Te Rapu is to initiate the next phase of research, which will focus on the experiences of rural Maaori in particular.
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